Date of Award

Spring 5-31-2025

Document Type

Open Access Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Education/Leadership in Urban Schools

First Advisor

Patricia Krueger-Henney, PhD

Second Advisor

Wenfan Yan, PhD

Third Advisor

Rebecca Cruz, PhD

Abstract

Teacher emotions play a pivotal yet understudied role in shaping the educational experiences of Black students with disabilities (SWDs). This study examines how five special educators in a fully inclusive elementary school understand, experience, and navigate their emotions in relation to Black SWDs. Using a qualitative approach grounded in portraiture, this study explores the intersection of race, disability, and emotion, revealing how teachers internalize, resist, and negotiate dominant ideologies within the broader educational system.

Guided by a three-dimensional space framework from the field of narrative inquiry—temporality, sociality, and spatiality—this study traces how educators’ emotions are shaped by past experiences, social relationships, and institutional environments. Findings suggest that teacher emotions are not merely personal experiences but deeply shaped by historical, social, and political forces. The emotional labor of inclusion emerges as a central theme, illustrating how educators oscillate between vulnerability, frustration, and deep commitment in their work with Black SWDs.

This study expands the discourse on teacher emotions by exposing their role in either reinforcing or disrupting educational inequities. By critically examining the affective dimensions of teaching, it challenges deficit-oriented narratives and advocates for policies, teacher preparation programs, and professional development efforts that prioritize emotional awareness, reflexivity, and relationality. Altruistic love, which emerged as a significant and unexpected thematic finding, reflects a radical and transformative commitment to humanizing Black SWDs through emotional engagement, care, and advocacy. Ultimately, this research reimagines the role of teacher emotions in fostering equity-driven and humanizing educational spaces.

Comments

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